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A system for automated disassembly of snap-fit covers

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Abstract

This paper reports on a prototype automated system for the disassembly of batteries from a family of electronic devices whose plastic, snap-fit covers house AA or AAA batteries, such as remote controls and calculators. Included in the development of the prototype system was the design of a disassembly tool that uses three force-sensing resistors to provide force feedback information. A pneumatically actuated vacuum gripper and electromagnet system was also developed for recovering the snap-fit cover and batteries once they were released by the disassembly tool. The disassembly module was mounted on the tool head of a three-axis translational motion robot, and a Visual Basic application was developed to interface and control the robot with a Galil digital motion controller. A model-based computer vision application was also developed in Visual C++ using a Kinect sensor and the Open Source Computer Vision library to identify and localize the electronic device placed on the disassembly robot. Using the information gathered by the model-based computer vision application, the robot was able to use the disassembly tool module to perform the necessary disassembly operations to remove the device’s snap-fit cover and batteries. The design of such a disassembly system could aid the future development of fully autonomous disassembly systems that can handle a broader range of electronic products.

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Author notes

  1. Paul Schumacher

    Present address: Sensata Technologies, Attleboro, MA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and Systems Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA

    Paul Schumacher & Musa Jouaneh

Authors
  1. Paul Schumacher
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  2. Musa Jouaneh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Musa Jouaneh.

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Schumacher, P., Jouaneh, M. A system for automated disassembly of snap-fit covers. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 69, 2055–2069 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-013-5174-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-013-5174-8

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